Spare A Thought For The History Of Your Hangover Cure, UK

Sore head from too much festive spirit? Reaching for the aspirin? Take a moment to thank Edward Stone, the English vicar whose experiments with willow bark gave rise to modern aspirin and John Vane, who uncovered how the drug worked.


The full picture of aspirin's benefits has been completed today (Monday 17 December 2007) with the addition of new documents to the Royal Society's (1) archives.


The personal papers of British pharmacologist Sir John Vane will join Stone's original groundbreaking scientific paper to complete the first instalment in aspirin's history - although the story of the wonder drug is far from over yet, since new applications for the ubiquitous painkiller are still being found.


Edward Stone's 1763 paper, 'An account of the success of the bark of the willow of the cure for agues' (2) is acknowledged to be the beginning of research into salicylic acid, the active material in the willow bark which was later modified and sold as Aspirin.


Keith Moore, Head of the Royal Society Library and Archives, said: "Sir John Vane's papers will now join Edward Stone's in the archive of the Royal Society. The research carried out by both men is an excellent example of a scientific discovery that is still evolving. It is certainly rare that such an early pharmaceutical discovery is still in use today. Over the festive period, we should be particularly thankful."


Stone's paper describes his discovery - by testing on himself and 50 members of his parish - that ground willow bark powder relieves fevers and rheumatic pain. His account goes on to explain surprisingly recognisable dose instructions, but less conventional means to dissolve the powder - recommending it be dissolved in 'small beer and such like'.


Since this initial breakthrough, aspirin has evolved into a world-leading drug with over 100 billion tablets sold each year (3). It has been manufactured commercially since 1899 despite its mechanism - how it works on the human body - not being understood until Vane's investigations in the early 1970s, research that earned him and two Swedish colleagues the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1982.


Rod Flower FRS, Professor of Pharmacology at Queen Mary, University of London, who worked with Vane on this problem, said: "At the time John's discovery not only uncovered how a drug widely used for almost 100 years worked, but also proposed new uses for a compound which was primarily used as a painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug. He then went onto prove this by demonstrating aspirin's success as a preventative treatment for cardiovascular disease."


In Sir John Vane's words, "even though aspirin is such an old drug, we are still learning something new about it every day".


Professor Flower added: "Aspirin is an ever-evolving compound - there is increasing evidence that its use may reduce the risk of developing cancers such as breast and bowel cancer. These avenues of research would not have been possible had it not been for Edward Stone's curiosity and Sir John's discovery."


Notes:


1. The Royal Society is an independent academy promoting the natural and applied sciences. Founded in 1660, the Society has three roles, as the UK academy of science, as a learned Society, and as a funding agency. It responds to individual demand with selection by merit, not by field. As we prepare for our 350th anniversary in 2010, we are working to achieve five strategic priorities to:


- Invest in future scientific leaders and in innovation

- Influence policymaking with the best scientific advice

- Invigorate science and mathematics education

- Increase access to the best science internationally

- Inspire an interest in the joy, wonder and excitement of scientific discovery


2. Edward Stone's 1763 paper can be found here.



3. Figure taken from the Aspirin Foundation


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